I Won't Say I'm In Love
by soflylikea36
Summary: For Thalia and Nico, listen to the song from the Disney movie "Hercules" (1997) before you read this. P.S. Pretend this happens before all the crazy that is "The Heroes of Olympus Series," pretend that Thalico got one Summer to relax and be teenagers.
1. Prologue

I became a Huntress of Artemis because the Prophecy of the Big Three was not my fate. It was Percy's, and there was a chance that I wasn't even supposed to be back in my human form. But now the Titan War was over, Seaweed Brain somehow managed to negotiate with my father, and things were supposedly going back to normal.

I realized that I didn't want to be a Huntress anymore, not because of Artemis or the other Hunters or anything, but the immortality was slightly off to me. Having been a tree for over five years, more not changing was a little unnerving. Artemis was understanding, surprisingly enough.

I just wanted one normal summer at Camp Half-Blood, where I could be a normal demigod, practicing the skills I would need to live a normal life, and hopefully not be the awkward third wheel in the disgustingly gushy relationship Annabeth and Percy had going on. That was also weird, how I used to be three years older than Annabeth, but now she was turning seventeen and I was still stuck at fifteen until December.

I walked up Half-Blood Hill, where my tree marked the entrance to camp. It had a healthy, godly glow to it, thanks to the Golden Fleece. Much more than a regular pine tree, it represented a hero. It was also funny to think that that hero was me.

The Big House at the base of the hill, the strawberry hills, cabins, dining pavilion, archery range, canoe lake, and the woods; this was home.


	2. Chapter 1

The valley was lush and green and the air was thick with the smell of summer. Okay, that last part was probably just a bunch of rotting strawberries, but the sweet scent that swirled with the breeze off the lake was undeniable. I felt like I missed out on so much, never really able to come to Camp Half-Blood like a normal demigod..._wait, who was I kidding? Normal? Demigod?_ Those two words didn't even belong in the same train of thought.

I paused for a moment. Only one word could really sum up Camp Half-Blood for me. _Home_. On the run I never found a home. My mother's house was never and would never be home. The valley that I had spent five years watching over in tree form was home.

I found myself over a the archery range. It felt like some force was pulling me towards it, though it was deserted. I stretched my arms, missing the weight of my silver quiver and bow that would have appeared on my shoulder had I still been a Hunter. That realization put a funny feeling in my chest; the Hunters had been the most stable thing I had had in my life for a while, yet that had ended rather quickly.

"Thalia!"

I turned around right in time to be barreled over by Mrs. O'Leary. Nothing pulls you out of a depressing daydream quite like a giant hellhound on your chest.

After a disgusting bath in dog drool, Percy finally stopped laughing for long enough to call her off me. He stood hand in hand with Annabeth, whose warning to run before a giant hellhound tackled me to the ground never quite made it.

"A little help, Seaweed Brain?" I asked, gesturing to my sticky clothes. That was met by a shower of lake water, ice cold, might I add, that left me dry and relatively slobber free.

That moment of peace didn't last very long as it was Annabeth's turn to knock me off my feet with a hug.

"Annabeth! It's good to see you too!" I couldn't help but genuinely smile as I returned her hug. A bit gentler that Mrs. O'Leary's, but not by much.

Releasing myself from her clutches, I turned to Percy, "Nice job saving the world," I couldn't keep the smirk off my face, "for a son of Poseidon."

He laughed at that one, before pulling me into a bone-crushing hug as well. Seriously, someone was going to get a rib broken, and I had a fleeting feeling that that someone was going to be me.

"Thanks," he said, looking at my still fifteen-year-old face. "You didn't do too bad yourself, ya know, considering you're a daughter of Zeus, Sweet Sixteen and never been kissed."

"Hey!" my reply was indignant, not angry, " I can still electrocute you!" a lame comeback, but it was kinda all I had.

He laughed before throwing his arm around my shoulder, smirking when he saw how much he towered over me. "C'mon, let's go see Chiron in the Big House," I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips, following his lead, engaging in some idle chatter with Percy and Annabeth.

"Being a Hunter was amazing. They accepted me, gave me a home and a family, and kept me safe. But something wasn't quite right."

"It was because I wasn't there, right?" I punched Percy in the arm for that comment, perhaps harder than I should have, (_Holy Hera they don't make sons of the Sea god like they used to_) earning a snicker from Annabeth.

"The immortality was a bit unnerving," I said, "and something just pulled me _here._"

"This time it was me, wasn't it!"

"Gods, Percy, how do I put this lightly? _No_. I found that the thought of a sedentary lifestyle was very appealing, so I left in search of it."

He looked over his shoulder and threw a smirk in my direction: "Sure it was, Thalia."

* * *

Percy and Annabeth took the long way around to the Big House so I could see the new construction on the cabins and whatnot. Of course, I wasn't really paying attention to the buildings, but to the campers. There were so many new faces, familiar but older faces, and then there were the faces I didn't see...

With all the thoughts running through my mind, I'm surprised that I recognized a very familiar face by the new Hades cabin.

Nico looked so much older, _gods, he had to be at least sixteen by now,_ but he still seemed like the little boy we rescued from Maine all those years ago.

_When in Hades had he become so attractive?_

_Maybe that was another reason I had left the Hunters._


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry about the wait! I hope this makes it up to you guys!**

I couldn't help it. I kept on sneaking glances back in Nico's direction, like a freaking lovesick schoolgirl. It didn't help when Percy almost caught me. Annabeth was too busy yabbering on about some sort of fancy new architectural technique the children of Hecate were using to make a magical archway or something.

It was frustrating, I had been in camp for a grand total of what, _five minutes_ before I couldn't stop staring at Nico?

Anyone would have admitted that age had done him some good. Nico was taller, stronger, and _cuter?_

Well, more attractive anyway. Attractive as far as sons of Hades go. And I guess I'd be lying to myself if I said that still wasn't pretty darn attractive.

I forced myself to tear my eyes away from Nico. To focus on something else. Anything else. I settled on staring at my tree. _That's a nice tree..._

I wasn't one to obsessively drool over guys. In fact, most demigods, unless you were a child of or manipulated by (_hello, Paris and Helen_) Aphrodite, didn't spend as much brain power as the normal teenager on relationships. Mostly because we're too busy trying to save our godly parents/aunts and uncles/grandparents/cousins from whatever mess they've gotten themselves into, or we've sworn to be a maiden forever, or they're going on quests or fighting monsters and don't have the time, or maybe it would just be too complicated.

Okay, so maybe I'd thought about Nico more than once, but it would almost be more clichéd than a daughter of Zeus and a son of Hades dating would be a son of Poseidon and a daughter of Athena—oh wait, that already happened, didn't it?

Wait, why on earth was I thinking about _dating_ Nico? I swear on the River Styx I _only_ thought he was attractive! Never mind! I take that last part back! I certainly didn't need to start another godly war because I was lying to myself. I felt like running away, joining the Amazons or something, because just seeing Nico had seriously addled my brain. That's it, I wasn't thinking straight. Must be this..._New York_ air or something.

_Holy Hera_. I can't even think up semi-adequate lies to tell _myself_.

Suddenly Annabeth snapped her fingers in front of my face, "_Hello? Thalia? Anybody in there?_" I probably jumped about five feet in the air: "W-what? Did I miss something?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "Have you been listening to _anything_ we've said for the five minutes?" Given that it was probably closer to seven minutes ago that we'd passed the Hades cabin, I was ready to admit that no, I hadn't been paying attention in the slightest, because lying to Annabeth in a death sentence.

Of course, I didn't have to, because she read my silence as a nonverbal yes.

"Well," she said, "I asked if you wanted to head down to the dining pavilion, maybe get something to eat."

"Yeah, sure," I said, trying to ignore the weird looks both Annabeth and Percy were giving me and trying to shake the image of Nico's face out of my head.

_No. You can't like him. You just can't. He's Nico di Angelo, and you're Thalia Grace. It just wouldn't work, so don't you dare get your hopes up._

I guess my heart was trying to tell me one thing, while my brain had a very convincing argument for the other side.

On the one hand, there were too many mixed alliances and crap like that in a demigod's life. Hades and Zeus...well, they didn't always see eye to eye. I also didn't want to end up with my heart broken. It was weak, and if there was anything I didn't want to be, that was weak.

_But,_ I couldn't stop thinking about him. He was so powerful, and I was so drawn to him, it was maddening. I really wanted to curse Aphrodite right then, but that probably wouldn't be a good idea considering she'd probably vaporize me with her magic sparkle powers or make me do something stupid like confess my love for Nico to the entire camp...wait, _love?_

Did I _love_ Nico? No, I didn't.

Alright, that complete lie aside...how _did_ I feel about him?

I quietly followed Annabeth and Percy to the dining pavilion, trying to engage in their conversation but it was seriously giving me a hydra-sized headache. No, check that. A Mr. D's ego-sized headache.

I wasn't anywhere near a meal-time, but still there's a Greek-style pizza with olives and pepperoni waiting for us at my table. I try not to laugh when Percy rushes forward to make an offering and dig in. Annabeth doesn't seem to have that problem, gently pressing a kiss to his forehead before doing the same. I feel my heart clench painfully at the sight of that. Not necessarily in jealousy, but because my brain won't let me be like that.

Picking up a piece of pizza, I tear off the crust (my favorite part) and break it in two. I make my way over to the fire in the center of the pavilion, and throw one piece in: "Zeus," I mumble, bowing my head. Then I take the other piece, taking a bit more time on this one.

_To whichever god or goddess you are,_ hmmm, probably not the best way to start an offering..._please show me which way to go with all this...stuff._

Unfortunately, that's pretty much all I could say. I was so confused, I just couldn't get Nico out of my brain. His smile, on the rare occasions it showed up, never failed to melt me. His eyes were dark and mysterious and I just wanted to know more. I loved listening to his voice. The pain and secrets he surrounded himself with made my heart break.

_Wow_, being in love _sucked_. Wait. I never said that. I won't say I'm in love. At least not out loud.

I realized I had been standing over the fire for a long time. Almost in a daze, I walked back over to where Annabeth and Percy were chattering and enjoying their pizza, the latter slurping on something blue.

Sitting back down beside them, I couldn't help but feel out of place. It was too crazy, I'd seen Nico for like what, _two seconds_, and I was already having this debate inside my head?

"Hey, Thals, you alright?" Percy's voice brought me back to reality, where apparently I had been hacking my pizza into little pieces.

"Yeah, fine," _okay_, so maybe lying was not my strong suit. I really needed to go and talk to Connor Stoll, maybe get lessons in the fine art of manipulation.

"Thalia, are you sure? You've kinda been acting out of it for awhile. Did Mrs. O'Leary make you hit your head?" Annabeth's question actually got a smile out of me.

Maybe more than a smile. I laughed at that, "Annabeth, Seaweed Brain, I'm _fine_. Just a little tired, I guess." _And a lot bit distracted..._

"Well, wake up! We have capture the flag tonight, and you are so totally on my team!" Percy jumped up on the table, pumping his fist in the air like we'd already won.

"You forgot who you're up against!" Annabeth said as she hauled him back down by his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

"Who is it?" I asked, listening to her probably for the first time all day. I really wanted to zap myself with some lightning or something, I was so out of it I hadn't even been listening to _Annabeth_.

"Tonight it's evens versus odds, but the kids who are in cabins that are new additions are kinda spread out. Let's see...I'm not really sure, but I know that Iris and Hades are with me," Annabeth continued on, but that last bit of information had me zoning all over again.

_Oh gods, not only am I on a team with Percy, but we're against both Annabth and _Nico_. At that I mentally started freaking out, what am I going to do if I see him? Do I have to see him? Maybe if I can just sneak around him... What is wrong with me?_

I forced myself to pull it together. Percy was looking at me weird again, but when I appeared to have come back from whatever dream world I was in, he shooed Annabeth away to talk strategy with me. Apparently being a child of Zeus comes with perks like being promoted to co-captain of your capture the flag team.

_This was going to be a bloodbath. _A Camp Half-Blood bloodbath, but a bloodbath nonetheless.

And for once, I didn't think I was looking forward to the fight. Especially not if there was any chance that I was going to come face to face with the person I wanted to see more than anything.

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the support! This is my most popular fic! Especially to SummerSpirit18, SilverLiningsGirl, Hunter of Artemis 140, Guest, and GirlHayley for reviewing! Hopefully next time the wait won't be as long!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Really sorry it took so long to update, but last week my computer got a virus and now all of my documents and my computer are gone. Well, that sucked. I had this chapter mostly done but then I had to redo it. In case anyone cares, I also had the second chapter of my Niff fic and a Huntbastian one-shot almost done but now it's all gone. Super sorry Gleeks! The only good this about this is that my dad is buying me a new computer because mine is a total goner. Thanks Daddy! Anyways, on to the Thalico!**

* * *

So, why was I feeling apprehensive? Oh yeah, that's right! I was about to meet the guy I've secretly (so secretly even _I_ didn't realize it until a few hours ago) been crushing on for years on the battlefield, and we were going to be on opposing teams.

I threw my spear and shield down on the floor of Cabin One a little more harshly than what was probably necessary and plonked down next to them in frustration.

This was ridiculous. It was absurd. Nico had barely spoken two complete sentences to me since we met. We didn't even know each other. Had Aphrodite spiked my canteen?

Why was I crushing so hard? Why was he the only thing I was capable of focusing on for more than five seconds?

All I wanted to do was talk it out, preferably with someone who had a sensible head on their shoulders, like Annabeth.

No, Annabeth would only look at me like I was crazy. She'd also probably laugh at the irony, the fact that I had joined the Hunters of Artemis and had sworn off boys just to come back to Camp and have one, probably one of the most unreachable ones at that, on my mind at all times.

_You can't have a crush on someone you don't know,_ she'd say. _You're just imagining things. Besides, it's just a crush. It'll pass._

That was just the thing though, wasn't it? This wasn't just a crush.

I banged my head on the pedestal of Zeus's statue that I was leaning against, trying, in vain, might I add, to knock some sense into myself.

Well, what wasn't there to like? Nico was quiet, mysterious, one of a kind, dark, had dreamy eyes...

_Holy Poseidon, I'm turning into a freaking child of Aphrodite. _

Percy came running into my cabin, absolutely wrecking my train of thought.

"_Come on_, Thalia! We've got some Athena butt to kick!"

Percy was so annoying and stubborn, it was kind of endearing. Of course, I still had no idea why or how Annabeth put up with him for more than five minutes, but to each her own, I guess.

I surpressed a groan when Percy stalked over to me and pulled me up, rather harshly, by my arm.

"I'm coming, Percy," I tried to sound bored despite the butterflies roaming around my stomach at the thought of seeing Nico, and failed pretty miserably as my voice sounded at least an octave higher than usual. Thankfully, Percy had always been a little more ADHD than the rest of us, and he was too distracted trying to drag me out of my cabin by the straps of my armor, along with my spear, shield, bow, and quiver.

* * *

The early evening sun was still pretty hot on my face, (or maybe that was my blush) as Percy led me down to the forest. Everyone was wearing the stupid horse-hair plumed Greek helmets, Percy's team in blue and Annabeth's in red.

The only good thing about these helmets were that they hid some of my face and kept my brain from exploding.

I was hardly listening to a word Percy was saying when he was going over the battle tactics. He must have noticed, at least somewhat, because I found myself near the edge of the forest, assigned to guard a wide-open patch of land that hardly anyone ever came by in this game.

I sighed, leaning against the shaft of my spear, my shield lying face-down in the dirt. I really needed to get my act together. This infatuation was bordering obsession, I couldn't even think straight, and it was all too frustrating.

Maybe I shouldn't have left the Hunters. I really, really wanted to hate Nico for the weak, pathetic, emotional mess I was right now, but I couldn't. I couldn't run a spear through him like I did most of my other problems. I just, felt so disgusted with myself; hated feeling so unpredictable...

_This is why rational girls avoid developing crushes and just let their godly parent take care of things. Though asking Zeus to vaporize Nico just to get rid of my problems wasn't especially appealing, nor was asking him to pull any strings to get me in a little closer with a boy who was supposedly some sort of cousin to me._

My heart leapt up to my throat at a sudden rustle in the trees to my left. _Another thing, the way my heart fluttered or my stomach flipped whenever I thought about Nico...well, that probably wasn't even good for my health..._

In the span of about two seconds, I had my spear positioned so I could throw it if necessary, my shield back in my hands and my body crouched back into a strongly defensive position. Everything was extremely tense, I could practically feel the energy of another powerful demigod, no doubt what had made the bushes across the stream move only seconds before.

In a steady voice, or at least I was trying to be steady, I disrupted the perfect silence that was thick in the air: "If you don't come out of hiding in exactly three seconds, I will aim a lightning bolt in your general direction and I really don't care where it lands."

First I saw the tips of a small pair of black leather boots. Then there were black jeans that actually looked good with the ugly orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and a bronze breast plate. Pale hands peeking out from the sleeves of the black long-sleeved shirt he wore under the t-shirt, clutching a glowing black dagger. Finally, his face; most of it covered by the heavy bronze Greek war helmet, adorned simply with a red plume, his skin deathly pale (but that was normal) and his dark eyes cold and calculating.

I won't say I didn't swallow thickly when Nico stepped easily out of the trees he had been concealed in only seconds before.

"Thalia?"

My heart was racing a million miles an hour, probably faster than Blackjack on steriods. The only, and probably most idiotic thing I could have said tumbled from my lips: "Nico? What in Hades are you doing here?"

He was definitely not the same boy we rescued from that wretched boarding school in Maine three years ago.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, a small smile forming on his lips. His previously defensive stance relaxed quite a bit, arms simply hanging at his sides, not even bothering to hold his dagger up to my face. I quickly snapped my shield back into bracelet form because I knew the ugly face of a knock-off Medusa was keeping him from stepping any closer. "Why are you here? Why not with the Hunters?"

"I left," simple, dismissive, "I think the more important question is what are you doing in this part of the woods? It's no where near the flag."

My heart was going to burst out of my chest. That's all, folks! Thalia Grace, supposedly a great hero at age tweleve, was going to die from being in too close of a proximity to her crush.

At this he gave a little chuckle, and it was so sweet it made my heart race, "Annabeth sent me over here, trying a new defensive tactic. I don't think it's going to work though, because she didn't plan on me having to go through you."

My mind was racing, because this isn't the stupid thing where your friends know that you're totally obsessed with someone and set you up (though I wouldn't put it past Aphrodite to do something like that) this was just happening. Before I knew it, my mouth was acting on its own, slipping into this easy conversation with Nico, hiding the fact that my palms had gone all sweaty and there was an undeniable upset in my stomach. "Percy sent me here because apparently I was too distracted during his whole battle plan spiel, not that I pay attention usually, and set me up far away from any action so I wouldn't hurt anyone."

Talking to Nico was surprisingly easy, and it was going pretty smoothly until some idiot just had to go and set the top of Zeus' Fist on fire.

* * *

**Yeah, this is really short, and yeah, not very satisfying...but its something, right? Thoughts?**


End file.
